Published: April 20, 2002

The pharmacist who admitted he watered down the drugs of 34 cancer victims has acknowledged that he diluted dozens of drugs over the past decade, possibly affecting 4,200 patients, federal authorities said. The United States attorney's office acknowledged it could not conclusively confirm the claim but said it was working with state and federal authorities to notify potential victims. The pharmacist, Robert R. Courtney, 49, pleaded guilty in February to diluting chemotherapy drugs 158 times for 34 patients. Prosecutors say he pocketed hundreds of ill-gotten dollars per dose.